Pickle-grading machine.



PATENTED MAR. 13, 1905.

T. 0. YBAGERJ GKLE GRADING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR 14, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET-1.

gel. Inventor,

: ThomaS Cyan Attorneys.

PATENTED MAR. 13 1906.

T. G. YBAGER. PIGKLE GRADING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR 14, 1905.

2 SHBBTSSHEET 2.

Th omas C .Ye 23L Witness s:

. Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. V THOMAS C: YEAGER, or CANTON, MISSOURI;

PICKLE-GRAPING MACHlNE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 13, 1906.

Application filed April 14, 1905. Serial No, 265,660.

To alt whom, it may cbnc'ern:

Y Be it known that I, THOMAS C. YEAGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Lewis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Pickle- Grading Machine, of which the. following is a specification. I 1

This invention relates t pickle-grading machines.

' The object of the inventionis to provide a machine in which the gradingelements shall be capable of adjustment to adapt the machine for grading pickles of any size, and, further, one in which clogging of the gradingtable will in a simple'and ready manner be positively prevented; furthermore, to simplify the construction, increase the efficiency, and reduce liability of breakage or derangement of the parts of the apparatus to a minimum. I I

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a pickle-grader, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed. I In the accompanying drawings, formin a I part of this specification, and in which like grading element.

ments s ownin Figs. 4 and 5.

characters ofreference indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1. is a-view in erspectlve of one form of apparatus embodying the improvements of the present invention. Fig. 2- is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the apparatus. Fi 3- is a view in transverse section, taken on t e line 3 3, Fig.2. Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary detail views in elevation, showing the manner in which the gradin elements may be transversely expande or adjusted to adapt the machine for grading different-sized pickles. Fig. 6 is-a view inplan of part of one of the grading ele- Fig. 7 is a view in end elevation of a modified form of Fig. 8 is a similar view of another form of grading element. Fig. 9 is a view in plan of a portion of the elements shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 10 is a View in plan of still another form of grading element. I I

The machine of the present invention embodies a sup orting-frame comprising four vertical stan ards 1, four longitudinal beams 2, 3," 4, and 5, two brace-beams 6,connecting the lower portion of the beams 7, and a pair of inclined beams 8, secured to the inner sides of the beams 1 and supportin the pickle-receiving table 9, the upper ends of the vertical beams beingheld against spreading by brace-beams 10. The beams 2 and 3 extend at each end beyond the beams 1, and thev carry j ournal-boxes 12, as shown in Fig. 2, in

whlch is journaled aneactuating-shaft 13, presently to be described. To the extended endsvof the beams 2 and 3 are secured in clined timbers 14, the lower ends of which carry stub-shafts 15, upon which are mounted sprocket-wheels 16, the function of which will presently appear. Secured to two of the beams 1 back of the timbers 14 are inclined timbers 17, to which is secured a-chute 18, down which the pickles that have not escaped throughthe grading-screen pass and are caught by a suitablereceptacle.v

Secured to the beams 1 at the feed end of the machine are journal-boxes 19 one only being shown in Fig. 2, in which is journaleda shaft 20, the outer end of the shaft having combined with it a sprocket-wheel 21, around which passes a sprocket-chain 22 to and around a sprocket-wheel 23 on the driveshafts 13. The shaft 20 carries between the uprights 1 a pair of sprocket-wheels 24, and mounted upon the stub-shaft 25, carried by the uprights 1 below the sprocket-wheels 24, are sprocket-Wheels '26, and these two sets of s rocket-wheels are engaged by sprocketc ains 27, which pass around the sprocketwheels 16 and around a pair of sprocketwheels 28, mounted on stub-shafts 29 on the I u rights 1 at the discharge end of the machine. The chains 21 have secured to them slats or bars 29, through which project agitating-fingers 30, the chains 27 bars 29, and fingers30 forming a combined conveyer and agitator for causing progressive onward movement of the pickles from the feed end of the machine and their final discharge down the chute 18. I I

The grading-screen, which constitutes the gist of the present invention, comprises a plurality of grading elements, (designated generally 31,) that are secured at their terminals to cross-bars 32 and 33, the cross-bar 33 being disposed on top of the members and at the feed end of the machine and the bar 32 to the I under side of the members at the discharge end of the-machine, as clearly shown in Fig. la Secured to the bars are side pieces 34, which are commensurate in length with the grading elements, but of greater height than the same, and erate as a means to prevent lateral escape of the pickles from the screen. Combined with the side ieces at each end are staples 35, to which connect flexible screen-supporting elements 36, which may be chains, as shown, or resilient strips of metal, the upper ends of the supporting elements being secured to the cross-braces 10. By

this arrangement it will be seen that the upon the cross bars 32 and 33.

screen is capable of free vibratory movement with the output .of slight power. The means for vibrating the screen comprises a itman rod 37, one end of which is connecte with a crank 38', carried by the shaft 13, as shown in Fig. 2, and the other end of which connects with a yoke 39, which projects rearwardly from the cross-bar 33. The shaft 13 carries a pulley 40, around which passes a belt 41, driven from a suitable source of power.

The grading elements are referably concidal in cross-section, as clear y shownin Figs. 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8, and may be made of any suitable material, preferably of wood, and

are graduated from the feed end of the machine, or that at which the feed-table 42 is'located, to the discharge end of the machine, or that at which the chute is located, the spaces between the juxtaposed elements gradually increasing in width from the feed to the discharge end. In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 the grading elements 31 are exhibited as constructed in two sections 43 and 44, which are held combined and appropriately'spaced by means of bolts 45, that project, respectively, through the .cross-bars 32 and 33, as shown in Figs. 3, 4,

and 5, and have combined with them flexible cap-plates 46, which bear upon the upper sides of the sections of the grading elements, the bolts having combined. with their lower ends nuts 47, which when tightened will cause the cap-plates to impinge the grading elements, and thus secure them in position By making the grading elements in two parts, as shown,

' they are transversely expansible or adjustable, thereby to adapt one machine for grading picklesof any size.

n the form of the invention shown in Figs. 7 and 9 the grading element 48 willbe made solid and devoid of the graduations, while in the form of the invention shown in Fig. 10 the grading element 49 will be made solid and provided with graduations. I

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 8 the grading element 50 will be made of metal, preferably galvanized iron, and bent to the a (propriate shape and may be either lfidlflte or smooth throughout, as preerre The receiving-table 9, to which reference bodying in its construction a vibratory screen has been made, is inclined throughout a greater portion of its length and is provided with a forwardl -project1ng straight portion 51, as shown in B ig. 3, and it is upon this tablethat the pickles pass that have been graded and escape through the spaees between the grading elements, the outer edge of the table being provided with semicircular recesses 52, beneath which will be disposed barrels or other suitable receptacles to receive the pickles. In order to keep the graded pickles separated, there is provided a series of partitions 53, which are shaped to fit the approximately wedge-shaped space formed by the under side of the frame of the machine and the upper side of the pickle-receiving table, the rear end of each partition being provided with a stud or pintle 54 to engage one of a se ries of orifices 55, provided in a strip56, ex tending the length of the machine. 'Bythe provision of the pintles and orifices the partitions may be shifted according to the. sizes of pickles to-be graded.

In the use of the apparatus the pickles are fed to the feed-table 42 and thence pass on to the screen, which is lon itudinally'vibrated in the manner describe and at the same time the agitating members will travel between the spaces defined by the expansible gradin through merits-57, formed b the partitions 53, are caught by the agitating members and moved forward on down the screen, and by the time they reach the portion of the screen in which the grading elements are spaced the roper distance to permit them to pass throu they will escape into the compartments, and so on, the pickles being constantly vibrated and elements, and those that do not drop and into any one of the compartagltated. By the time the mass of pickles reaches the end of the machine, if they are all not, by that time graded ,which mi ht happen if there were some very large pic les in the mass, these will be carried over the end of the screen and will pass down the chute 18 and into a suitable receptacle.

While the apparatus of this invention is exceedingly simple of construction, it will be found thoroughly efiicient and durable in use for the purposes defined and will in a rapid, practical, and exact manner sort pickles of all sizes and she es.

Havin thus ascribed the invention,what is claime is 1. A machine of the class described em- .bodying in its construction transversely eie pansible grading elements, and resilient clamping elements forholding them in adj usted positions.

2. A machine of the class described embodying in its construction transversely-expansible raduated grading elements, and resilient c amping elements or holding them in adjusted ositions.

3. A mac ine of the class described emcomposed of transversely expansible grading elements.

4. A machine of the class described .em-

bodying in its construction a screen com rising sectional means for hol ing the sections of elements at any desired adjustment.

5. A machine of the class described comprising a screen composed of transversely-expansible graduated grading elements, means or vibrating the screen, and traveling agi- --tating elements to ing elements.

project between the grad- 6. In a machine of theclass described, the combination witha vibratory screen composed of spaced transverselg expansible grad-.

an endless travltatmg members 111 elements.

uated grading elements, 0 cling member carrying a projecting between the gra A machine of'the'class escribed com-- prising a vibratory graduating-screen emodymg transvers'ely-expansible grading ele-' ments, a traveling agitating element having admg elements, and resi 'ent ments, of an inclined receiving-t titions adjustable relatively to the lengt of mechamsm that actuates. the" same.

ments, and a receiving-table arran edbeand having adjusta le parneath the screen titions. v

"8. In a machine of the class described, the combination with adjustable the table.

9; In a machine of the class described, a

sib e grading elements means for vibrating the same,- and atraveling-a itatin 'coacting with the screen and iven om the In testimony my own I have in the presence that I claim the foregoing as hereto affixed mysignature of two witnesses.

v THOS. c. YEAGER Witnesses:

R. JEFF; YEAGER, E; H B. RISSER:

2 5' d g i si ls, and ardevice A sus ended grading-screen embodying expan- 

